What's it about: Some describe it as the town at the edge of the
world. When Melody and Michael Devereux come to Collinsport
on their honeymoon, they don't know the secrets that are hidden behind closed
doors. But those secrets will be unearthed when an innocent is viciously
murdered. Collinsport will be a town
divided. One woman's rise to power will lead to further death and destruction.
Families will be ripped apart. Blood will be spilt. And the dark forces that wait in the shadows will wait
no more. For in Collinsport, death is never the end...
Maggie Evans: Angelique throws some light on her character,
suggesting that whenever anybody questions her convictions or beliefs that she
plays the victim. Maggie turns the tables on Angelique by suggesting that none
of this madness occurred in Collinsport until Barnabas and his entourage
visited town. Maggie wants to finally rid this world of monsters, even if she
is one herself. There's a good chance the Agreed Death spell will kill her too
but she is firm in her resolve to cleanse the town. He mother died when she was
very young and after she was gone her father threw himself into a painting as a
way to replace her. To capture her in a moment. It became an obsession. I am
intrigued as to what kind of monster Maggie Evans might turn out to be. A
succubus? A Dijnn? Or a monster who'd rather exercised her malicious deeds
through others rather than bloody her own hands? No, she's a monster because
she is human. A massively profound statement for Angelique to make. In a town
full of creatures, the biggest monsters are the human beings.
Standout Performance: Bringing together Lara Parker and
Kathryn Leigh-Scott for a lengthy dialogue scene is a dream come true. What
fantastic performances and they bounce off each other so well. The characters
have such history and it all comes spilling out spectacularly throughout this
half hour. I'm surprised that the creators of this series have kept them apart
for this long given the wealth of drama that exists between the but it sure
gives the penultimate episode a huge eruption of emotion that was needed to
throw us into the finale.
Sparkling Dialogue: 'I don't pretend to look confused every
time a man falls into my lap.'
Great Ideas: Everything and everyone is converging on
Collinwood, the beating heart of this town and where most of its problems come
from. In 1797, Petofi arrived at Alexandra's villa late one night with a
business proposition. He was paranoid, believing gypsies were trying to track
him down and is raving about 'the age of Petofi.' All the diaries hint at is
that Petofi's plans are over 200 years in the making. Agreed death - a spell
that is designed to kill supernatural creatures and yet can only be cast by a
supernatural creature. Few people know how the spell works. Petofi was a
trickster but most of his power was concentrated in the hand...which is the
only part of him that we know has survived. The reason that Barnabas doesn't
want Angelique is the same reason that nobody wants her; because she is
poisonous and manipulative. Before Barnabas all Angelique wanted to do was to
make perfume, a simple dream that has remained unfulfilled. Petofi's desire for
nothing isn't what it sounds like...it is a literal interpretation of his
desires. It's not that he wanted for nothing...he wanted nothing.
Standout Scene: Just as Bloodlust has been building to a
spectacular climax, episode 12 is a self contained piece of drama that builds
to its own apex. Two wronged women coming together to put their differences
apart and cast a spell that could put an end to all of their troubles. Who was
telling lies? The emotional sting comes when Maggie forgives Angelique despite
everything...and she even surprises herself in offering such a gift. It
reminded me of the Doctor granting his forgiveness to the Master at the end of
The Last of the Time Lords but it affected me even moreso. Something about the
intimacy of audio, of having these characters in right in your ears. The
performances at this point took my breath away and I had goosebumps.
Result: 'I forgive you!' And I thought the real time
crowd episode was something different. This is wonderful stuff, the best
episode by far and a gripping two hander between Maggie Evans and Angelique
Bouchard. It is no co-incidence that these two are my favourite characters and
it thrills me to see so much time being given over to them and their back
story. The performances are extraordinary, both Kathryn Leigh-Scott and Lara
Palmer take hold of this powerful material and sink their teeth into it. It
doesn't matter that a handful of plot threads are effectively stalled for a
whole episode because the drama that plays out between these two women had me
rooted to the spot in astonishment for 40 minutes. It reminds me of that old
adage that all you need is two great actors and one great script and you can
capture your audience completely. This one of the most economic pieces of drama
that Big Finish has ever put out and it blows all those action soundtracks of
the Doctor Who main range to dust. Eleven episodes of the Bloodlust serial power
this piece of drama and it is all the more satisfying and substantial for it.
The ultimate bitch fight without a shred of violence. How will the finale top
this? It sure has an awful lot to live up to: 10/10
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